Paul Bunyan Trail
I start riding at 8:45am as there is a frost warning for Brainerd and I want to let it warm up some. I ride to the Paul Bunyan Trail on a sunny but cool and windy morning in Brainerd. It's been several years since I've been on this trail. It's good to be back riding it even though I only rode it for 1.5 miles. I pass a group of riders heading north and wished I could ride the trail with them for many miles.
Mississippi View from Brainerd
Here is a view of the Mississippi from Brainerd. It's majestic and scenic.
Riverside Cemetery
I'm riding the same route as yesterday, only in reverse. Again I find myself on a mostly quiet rural county road on a cool sunny day. The flag tells me that, as I suspected, there is an annoying headwind again today. It's not fair because I had a headwind yesterday when I was riding the opposite direction. Once again, life is not fair. This cemetery seems like a nice final place to rest. Also, this cemetery is at least 6 miles east of the Mississippi River. Is there another river nearby?
Horses
Yesterday on this road I saw cows. Today I get to see horses that appear to be enjoying themselves immensely.
Father Francis Xavier Pierez
After an enjoyable morning of riding the back roads, I come back to the Mississippi River. There is this interesting historical marker as I enter Little Falls. It turns out that Father Francis Xavier Pierez was a missionary to the Chippewa Indians. It doesn't say how that all turned out.
Little Falls Historical Marker for Nathan Richardson
I ask someone to take my picture in front of the Nathan Richardson Memorial in Little Falls by the Court House. It sounds like he was pretty successful bureaucrat in his day. I wonder what he would think about our political scene today.
City of Rice
My last stop before entering Saint Cloud is the small town of Rice. You can see from the shadow that the sun is getting lower in the sky. It's been a gruelling day with a late start, a nasty headwind, and no lunch. I skipped lunch and just ate snacks to save time. I want to make sure I arrive in Saint Cloud before dark. I make it - success.